Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to physiology and imaging workstations, and more particularly to integrating various physiology and imaging features and functionality into a single workstation.
Today, physiology workstations are used in catheter labs, hemodynamic (HD) labs and electrophysiology (EP) labs to conduct various tests and procedures. Sometimes, the laboratory is organized into a procedure room, a control room and a remote monitoring room. Alternatively, there may not be a separate control or remote monitoring room. Instead, a sterile area where the patient lies is in the center of the room, and located in another area of the same room are the EP system and HD system, stimulator, etc. When available, the control and remote monitoring rooms are isolated from the sterile environment of the procedure room and are shielded from the x-rays generated in the procedure room by certain types of imaging equipment, such as fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomographic (CT) imaging equipment. Presently, physiology workstations located in either the procedure, control or monitoring rooms are attached through cables to sensors, catheters, and instruments related only to the study. For example, conventional workstations are directly attached to surface ECG leads, intercardiac leads provided on a catheter, pressure sensors provided on a catheter and the like. The EP workstation is also directly attached to a stimulator that induces stimulus signals through a pacing tip on the catheter, such as to induce pacing to the heart.
Presently, the physiology workstation operates entirely separate and independent from imaging systems provided, such as an ultrasound workstation. The ultrasound workstation is a stand-alone system positioned in the procedure room proximate the patient and is controlled and operated by the physician or designated operator. The ultrasound system is attached to an ultrasound catheter or a surface probe that obtains ultrasound images. The ultrasound system may be attached to various probes including transthoracic, transesophageal, intravascular or intracardiac. The ultrasound system is directly attached to a second set of surface ECG leads, separated and distinct from the surface ECG leads connected to the EP workstation. The ultrasound images are displayed on a dedicated ultrasound monitor positioned directly on the stand-alone ultrasound system in the procedure room. The ultrasound monitor in the procedure room is separate and distinct from the monitors in the control and remote monitoring rooms. The ultrasound system has a separate user interface dedicated and specific to ultrasound features and functionality. The ultrasound system also includes entirely independent and dedicated processing hardware and software, memory and the like. Thus, today, EP and HD studies are performed utilizing a stand-alone ultrasound system that is separate and distinct from the electrophysiology workstation.
Conventional EP and HD workstations and ultrasound systems suffer from various disadvantages, that are addressed by various embodiments of the present invention.